Culvert.



G. MAHNEY & F'. A. ROUNDS.

I GULVERT.

APPLICATION HLED sEPT.9. 190B.

` 928,265. Patented July 20, A1909.

@Hannut Q water to fiow free y from one side of the road GILBERT MAHONEYAND FRANK A. ROUNDS, O'FLE ROY, MINNESOTA.

cULvEn'r.

v Specication of Letters atent.

Patented July 20,1909.

Application vfiled September 9, 1908. Serial No. 452,264.

To allwhom it may concern.

Be 1t known that we, GILBERT MAHONEY and FRANK A. RoUNDs, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Le Roy, in the county o'l' Mower, Stateof Minnesota., have invented certain new and useful Im rovements inCulverts; and we do hereby declare the followlng to be a full, clear,and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.A

This invention relates to culverts and like structures emplo ed inroadways to enable to the other without flooding the same, and

'for similar purposes and lias for its object to improve theconstruction and'increase the efficiency and utility of devices of lthischarf act-er. A

In the ordinary constructionv of culverts and hke structures the sidewalls are bound together lmmovably, and .in event of water freezingthereinv the walls are broken by the' eX ausion of the ice.

n the improved device herein shown and described, provrsionvls made 'forthe outward movement of the side walls under abnormal pressure, so thatdangerof the fracture of the walls is avoided, and 'the integrity' ofthe culvert insured.` l f The improved device comprises in general abase of cementitious material, spaced side walls formed. of blocks ofcementitious mat'erial resting by their lower edges u on the base and`with cap bloc-ks or members 'earin u on the upper edges of the sidewalls an with shoulders depending therefromv and bearing between theinner '-faees of the side walls at their upper edges, and with a layerof cementitious materialdisposedupon the Y base between ,the side wallsand preferably with a concaved u per surface and lbearing against theinner aces of the side-walls at their lower parts,1so'` that inwardmovement of the side walls under ressure of the earth from the outside.is eectually prevented, while at the same time the outward movef ment ofthe side Walls under abnormal pressure, such as the severe strainsroduced by the expansion of the ice forme Within the culvert-isrovidedfor,'whereby dan er of fracture o the side walls'is revente.: Aculvert is thus produced whic may be em- `plo ed in 4very cold climateswithout'dan'ger of racture from the ice.

' Iny the drawingslillustrati've of the pre tween the u per inner 'samefrom Within as for instance in eventof water ferredembodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective View oi' the improved culvert,liig. 2 is a transverse section, and, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.Fig. 4 is a sectional detal illustrating a modification in theconstruction.'

In the drawings, the base of ceinentitious material which is representedat 10 and disposed upon the ground where the culvert is to be erected ispreferably oi` greater width than the culvertstructure 4as shown so asto produce the requisite stability and prevent displacement, by thefrost, as well as to prevent any settling of the culvert under unusualpressurefrom above caused by the traffic of the road beneath which theculvert is disposed.

The culvert roper is constructed with spaced side wal s and the capbearing over t le sidewalls, the side walls formed of blocks 11 dis osedend to end, each set of blocks space apart a distance equal to the widthof t e culvert, and with their lower ends enlarged laterally 4as at 12to increase 'the bear ing surface upon the base 1() and correspondinglyincrease the stability of the structure. The topor ca of the closure isformed of a plurality of b ocks 13 bearing at their edges upon the upperedges of the wallblocks 11 and with depending shoulders 14 bearingbeedges of the wall blocks, and t us effectuall preventing in-4 wardmovement ofthe wal blocks at their u peredges. The side wall 'blocks 11and t cca b ocks 13 are preferably arranged so that t eir joints do notcome opposlte each other, or wlth the joints breaking as shown in Fig.1.

Disposed u on the base 10 between the side wall bloc s 11 is a layer ofcementitious material 15 with itsupper tace preferably concaved, toforma trough-like configuration at the lower side of the 'culvert tofacilitate the passage of the water therethrough. The bottom layer 15thus bears at its edges upon the inwardly projectin portion of thelaterally extending lower e ges-of the wall blocks 11, and materiallyassists in holding them in their downward osition. By this 'simplearrangement it wil be'obvious that a simply' constructed culvert isroduced which is eiectually prevented rom collapsing by the pressureWithout, While atithe time in event of abnormal pressure freezing,Wirtin the culvert, the side walls will soV yield outwardly tosuchpressure, and the fracture of thelblocks 11*13 prevented.

The blocks 11-13 will be formed in suitable molds, either at the pointwhere they are to be employed or at some central oint and shipped to thepoint Where the cu vert is to be erected and will generally be formed ofconcrete or like material. The base portion 10 and the bottom layer 15will generally be' formed where the culvert is to be erected,- the layer15 being applied before the cap memL begsl, are positloned u on Atheside walls. Tlieblocks 11-13 may be of any required size or thicknessaccording to the locality where the culvert is to be erected, but for anordinary culvert em loyed beneath an ordinary roadway, the locks willgenerally be about 18 wide, 4 long and 5 thick with the dependin portionof the cap block about 1" tinck. T e blocks 1].-13 will be reinforced byembedding therein a pluralit of wires represented at 16, which materia yincrease the strength and effectually prevent fracture under the severestrains to which the blocks will be subjected.

The structure may be employed for various purposes but as before statedis particularly adapted to the construction of culverts beneathroadways, to provide for the requisite drainage from side to side of theroad.

TheA reinforcing wires may be in the form of woven wire fencing materialasre resented in Fig. 3, and the wires may be of tile barbedconstruction as shown in Fig'. 4, or smooth as in Fig. 2 as preferred.

What is claimed, is

1Y A culvert comprising a base portion of cementitious material having auniformly level upper surface, side walls s aced apart and formed of a'lurality of bloc of cementitious material earing at their lower edges uon said base, 1cap members formed of b ocks of cementitious material andbearing upon said side wall blocksand with shoulders extend' between thesame, and a layer of cementitious material disposed between said sidewallA blocks and upon said base with the upper face concaved, andpreventing inward movement of the sidewall blocks while leavl ing themfree to moveoutwardly upon the level base under abnormal pressure.

2. A culvert comprising a base ortion of cementitious material, side walapartand formed of a plurality of blocks of cementitious material andwith laterally eX- vtended lower edges bearin upon the level toppedbase, cap members ormed of blocks of cementitious material and bearinsaid side wall blocks and with shoul ers extending between thesame, anda layer of cementitious material disposed between said side wall blocksand upon the inner portions of said lateral extensions and likewise uponsaid base and preventin inward movement and locking the side wal blocksagainst u ward movement whileleaving the said side wall blocks free tomove outwardly under abnormal pressure upon the level base.

spaced uponl 3. A culvert comprising a base portion of4 cementitiousmaterial having a uniformly level upper surface, side walls s lacedapart and formed of a lurality of bloc of cementitious material fiavingreinforcing wires. embedded therein and bearing at their lower edgesupon said base, cap members formed of blocks of cementitious materialand reinforced by wires embedded therein and bearing upon said side wallblocks and with shoulders extending between the same, and a layer ofcementitious material disposed between said side wall blocks and u onsaid base and with a convex upper sur ace and preventing inward movement-of the side wallI blocks while leav` them free to move outwardly uponthe lelifl base under abnormal pressure. i A Y In testimony whereof, weailix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

E. E. HALL,l W. M. FRANK.v

